Intamin

Knott's Berry Farm has agreed to a financial settlement with the family of a 12-year-old boy who was seriously injured during a 2009 accident on the Xcelerator roller coaster. "There's a confidential settlement," said Art Morgan, the family's attorney. "We can't say the amount. " A Knott's spokesperson declined to comment on the settlement. Kyle Wheeler was sitting in the front row of Xcelerator when the roller coaster's launch cable snapped, whipped toward the riders and split the fiberglass car in half.

While theme parks often add water parks to attract more visitors and encourage longer stays,  Italy's Etnaland water park will introduce a twist on the trend by opening a theme park in 2013. PHOTOS: Etnaland theme park set to open in 2013 Set to debut in March 2013, Etnaland's new theme park will feature 27 attractions including roller coasters, thrill rides, dark rides and water rides. Park World reports that several of the theme park attractions may soft-open in late 2012.

While theme parks often add water parks to attract more visitors and encourage longer stays,  Italy's Etnaland water park will introduce a twist on the trend by opening a theme park in 2013. PHOTOS: Etnaland theme park set to open in 2013 Set to debut in March 2013, Etnaland's new theme park will feature 27 attractions including roller coasters, thrill rides, dark rides and water rides. Park World reports that several of the theme park attractions may soft-open in late 2012.

Knott's Berry Farm has agreed to a financial settlement with the family of a 12-year-old boy who was seriously injured during a 2009 accident on the Xcelerator roller coaster. "There's a confidential settlement," said Art Morgan, the family's attorney. "We can't say the amount. " A Knott's spokesperson declined to comment on the settlement. Kyle Wheeler was sitting in the front row of Xcelerator when the roller coaster's launch cable snapped, whipped toward the riders and split the fiberglass car in half.

Investigators are looking into whether weight was a factor in the death of a woman who fell from a steep water ride Friday at Knott's Berry Farm. Lori Mason-Larez, 40, of Duarte fell from the Perilous Plunge ride as it dropped 115 feet at up to 50 mph. The mother of five slipped from both a seat belt and lap bar and fell to the water below.

Six Flags Inc., the second-biggest U.S. theme-park operator, closed a free-fall ride at four of its parks after a cable snapped on the attraction at its Louisville, Ky., park and severed the feet of a 13-year-old girl. Cedar Fair, operator of amusement parks including Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, said it temporarily shut down five similar rides at its locations. Rides at Knott's Berry Farm and Six Flags' Magic Mountain in Valencia were not affected.

Known as "America's Roller Coast," Cedar Point has been home to many record-breaking rides over the years and boasts a towering skyline of steel unmatched by any other amusement park. Photos : View the Top 10 Cedar Point roller coasters With 17 coasters, Cedar Point remains just behind Six Flags Magic Mountain's 18 coasters in a fierce back-and-forth battle for the coveted title of "Roller Coaster Capital of the World. " The Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park is about mind-blending speeds, gut-wrenching drops and scream-inducing thrills of the wooden- and steel-coaster kind.

Reporting from Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey-- Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., has a long and winding roller coaster history that's filled with as many twists and turns as the amusement park's many record-breaking rides. Photos : Top 10 Six Flags Great Adventure roller coasters Great Adventure was a must-see on my road trip across America's coaster belt, in large part because of the park's three world-class rides: El Toro, Kingda Ka and Nitro.

The family of a woman who died after falling from a flume ride filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday against Knott's Berry Farm and the maker of the Perilous Plunge. Lori Mason Larez, 40, of Duarte died Sept. 21 after slipping from the ride's seat belt and lap bar as her "boat" made its steepest decline, dropping 115 feet at up to 50 mph. The suit accuses the park and the Perilous Plunge maker, Intamin Co., of wrongful death and negligent design and operation of the ride.

Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind., may be the only place on Earth where you can celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween and the Fourth of July all in a single day. Photos: Top 10 Holiday World rides and attractions The family-owned theme park prides itself on its collection of record-setting rides and an award-winning water park that's included with the price of admission. In 1946, park founder Louis Koch opened Santa Claus Land in this small Indiana town to pay tribute to the town's namesake elf. The self-proclaimed “world's first theme park” featured a train, a toy shop, a few kiddie rides and, of course, daily visits by Santa Claus.

State investigators Tuesday blamed inadequate safety restraints for the death of a 40-year-old Duarte woman who flew out of a thrill ride at Knott's Berry Farm. Lori Mason-Larez fell to her death from the Perilous Plunge water ride--billed as the world's steepest and highest flume ride--even though both her lap bar and seat belt were in place. The 90-second ride carries as many as 24 passengers on a track up a hill, around a corner and down a 115-foot, 75-degree drop at speeds of up to 50 mph.